Supporting and cuiding means for endless band and like conveyers



Feb.` 20, 1923. 1,446,264

j F. G; MITCHELL SUPPORTING AND GUIDING, MEANS FDR ENDLEss BAND AND LIKE coNvEYER Filed Dec. so, 1919 5 sheets-sheet l Feb. Izo, 1923. 1446264 F. G. MITCHELL SUPPORTING AND GUID ING MEANS FOR NDLESS BAND AND LIKE CONVEYER Filed Dec. '30, 1919 5 sheets-sheet 2 www? Feb. 20, i923. 1,446,264 F. G. MITCHELL SUPPORTING AND GUIDING MEANS FOR ENDLESS BAND AND LIKE CONVEYER Filed Dec.'50, 1919 3 sheets-sheet 5 Patented li'eb., ri, i923.,

"' "5, V'TY nennnaicir einsnn'ririrciinnn or HYDE naar; LONDON, ENGLAND. f

SUPPORTING AND vC-rUIIDIIhT MEANS FOR ENDLESS BAND AND LIKE CONVEYERS.

Application filed eccniber 30, 11519.

To ZZ whom t muy conce/1%.'

Be it known that I llnnnniucn GILBERT MrroHELL, a subject of the King of Great Britain and ireland, residing at Hyde Park, in the county of London, England, have invented improvements in or Relating to Supporting and Guiding Means tor Endless Band and like Conveyers, ot `which the following is a specification.

Endless band and, like conveyers of the kind that are of trough or channel sliapefon their upper sides, are commonly carried by supporting and guiding means comprising sets of rollers carried by iiXed bearings, the rollers in each set being mounted to rotate about stationary axes inclined to one another and arranged in the same plane so as to `form a concave support or bed tor the band conveyer. Usually, supporting and guiding means of thiskind comprises three rollers, namely a. lower and central roller mounted to rotate aboutia horizontal axis, and two lateral rollers each mounted to rotate about an outwardly and upwardly inclined anis. lleretofore the lower roller has been mounted to rotate about a hollow spindle the ends ot which are` fixed in holes bored in a pair ot bearings bolted to a base plate, `the outer or laterally `disposed rollers .being mounted to rotate about separate spindles inclined to the lower one and fixed at their lower ends in the opposite ends ot the holes in the bearings to those in which the ends ot the lower spindle are fixed. Viitli this construction, the bearings have to be made unduly heavy and independent of each other and of the base plate therefor and have to be machined to receive the ends oi the spindie; the spindles, or bearings, or both, are

liable 'to become fractured it the outer rollers should accidentally bersubjected` to undue loads; sand from unmachined portions ot the' holes in the bearings is liable to become mixed with the lubricant feed through the spindles, which are made hollow and per forated, and interfere with the proper lubrication ot the rollers, and the several parts cannot be quickly assembled ,or taken apart when desired. 1

New the present invention has :for its obyject to provide supporting and guiding means ot the type referred to for endless band conveyers of the kind mentioned, that shall be free from the objections above indicated as obtaining with the known construction of band supporting and guiding meansa Serial No. 348,461.

For this purpose, in band supportingand guiding means accordingto the `present invention, the lower and lateral rollers are carried by a single spindle formed of a tube suitably bent to form a'lower horizontal portion and twov oppositely arranged outwardly and upwardly inclined lateral portions and` the bearings (sometimes briefly termed carriers) for carrying such benttubular spindle are adapted, as by being provided with a removable cap or cover, or by being made open ended, that is to say, ot biturcated or fork shape, so that the bent spindle can be placed in them sideways instead oit endways and then fixed in any desired position .tor use by suitable means, as for instance set screws or by clamping it in place. The lower roller may be split toadmit of its being secured on the lower horizontal portion of the spindle. 0r an unsplit rollerhaving a boss with a suiiiciently large bore to admit of its beingpassed endways on to the lower horizontal portion of the spindie maybe used, means, asfor instance a split bush, being then used to support the roller in position on the spindle. The two outer or lateral rollers are slipped over the outer end portions ot the spindle and arv By the construction described, not only is V a single spindle used instead of several but its use admits ot the bearings being cast in one piece with a single base plate; no machining of the bearings is necessary; the several parts can be quickly assembled and secured in position for use, the spindle with its rollers can be readily adjusted to admit of the axes thereof being arranged in a vertical or inclined plane to suit requirement, and, as the lubricant admitted to the hollow spindle can only pass through the latoral openings therein to the bosses of the rollers, there is no liability of its becoming contaminated with sand or other gritty matter, Furthermore, as' the lateral aud central portions'oiZ the spindle are .in one piece, considerable resistance will be offered will be self-evident from those now about to be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate adjustable spindle arrangen'ients. l

Of these drawings F ig.' 1 is a part end elevation of a portion ot the arrangement referred to and Fig. a side elevation'l o'lj a part of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar View to Fig. 1 showing ajinodifi'cation4 Fig. 4l is a longitudinal section et the louer roller showing modilied arrangement. Fig. 5 is asimilar View to Fig'. l showing' a further ln the exanip'le'shoirn in Figs. l and 2, a spindlel4 inclined` portions'. one of which is alone shown at 2, is held at each or the ai'igular regions 3 by forked or diyiide'd Carrier or loeariing;1 comprising' a member 4lpiroted at 5l to a bracket 6 'formed inl t,ral with a' base plate and* a remoyable member 8 adapted to be clamped to the member l, as by a sereiy 9. The spindle' 1, 2 is consequently rigidly vheld by `the i'nembers l, 8 and in order that'l the plane in which the portions 1, 2 lie can be altered,I the" angular position of the member 4L can' be adjusted by means such as the screws lOl llt such adjustment is not desired, then the member Ll mayV be mac'leintegral with thel braclret G, as. shown in Figi. ln this case, adjustment o'l the plane ContainingA the'v axes olf the horizontal and inclii'ied portions of the spindle and the rollers can be made by slaclieninfg the set se ews 9 and turning' the whole about the of the" lower portion 1 ot the spindle).

In the example shoi'rn in Fig. 1.V there are three rollers, namely loi'ver and central roller 11 and tnio outer rollers 12N only one otwhich vis shown, 1B and 14 being collars or abntments to retain the rollers in place cndWays. The lower roller l1 is made in tiro halves bolted together to adi'nit ol its being li'nounted on the lower portion ol" the spindle. ln F ig. lthe lfknver roller 'l l is made in one piece having the bore thrmlgh its hub sufii'ciently large in diameter to :rdn'iit of its beingl passedI endways over one oi' the inclined portions 2 ol the spindle' on to the lower j'iortionI l thereof upon which it is sujjiported by a bush 15 inadfe in two parts secured together.

ll' more than three angulzrrly disp rollers are requiredv lsay for' instante live, as shown inv Fig. 5` the sjjiindle l--Q can, its shoiiin. be suitably bent to 'linux-lx tivi anginlarly disjioeed porti iis for theI several' rollers, suitably sha j' jjnlovided'oi'i the. sjiin'dle' between the tiro inner laterally arranged' rollers l2' and the two out i" laterally arranged rollerslf tor supperting'` the outer rol f` i'n pesi 'ir endefysff, masi-1y, only @riepen bearings arranged at the ends of the lower horizonhaving integral therewithv tiro d" distante pistes 15 being' tal roller will be necessary in this arrangement but it in the ease ot a very wide set oil such-rollers7 additional bearings are necessary they can as shown at 17, be arranged between the two inner and tivo outer rollers. In such a case the additional bearings may be cast in one piece with the base piece plate 7, if it is not desired to adjust the plane containing the a'Xes of the bent portions of the spindle.,V otherwise they will need to be independent bearings and be connectedfor example to the piyoted bearings 4 as shown.

lVhat l claim i`s:- 1. Band supporting,- and guiding means ol the kind referred to: comprising rollers, a single spindle bent so as to Jorin a number or straight portions inclined to one another but occupying a' common plane', which portions are adapted tocarry the. various rollers, stationary supporting means for' said spindle and" means adapted tot admit of the single bent spindle being adjusted in' position as one piece to alter the plane in Which its various portions lie,V substantially as described.

2.*Band supporting and guiding)l means of the kind herein referred to, comprising a single spindle bent so as to form a number ot straight portionsintegral with and inclined tov one another but orcupying a comnion plane7 one portion being` central and horizontal, bearing means located atjthe ends of the central straight portion of the spindle for carryingsaid spindle; said bearing means being adapted to admit of adjustment of the spindle as a Whole about a horizontal axis and of holding thel spindle in its adjusted position,- stationary supporting means for said bearing' means and rollers mounted on the saidstraight portions of spindle. y

3. Band supporting and guiding means ot the kind herein referred to, comprising` a plate, upwardly extending' supporting mea-ns carried' thereby,-al single spindle bent so as vto torni a number ot straight 'portions inclined to one another but located in a common plane, onerportion being central and horizontal and carried at its ond portions by said supporting means. said supporting;- iiieans being adapted to' admit ot the bent spindleibeing tiiirn'ed about a horizontal axis for the p'iirpo'se set forth and to hold said spindle in its adjusted*position and rollers mounted' on' the several portions oit the spindle"1 silfbstantially vs described.

4. Band supportingi` and guiding means 'oli the kind referred to1r comprising rollers, a spindle bent so as' to' torni a number of straight portions inclined to one another vb'ut occupying a eomnion plane, which portionsl are adapted to carry the various rollers, a stationary bracket,A a pair ot carriers in stichtte' spindle is rigidly mounted, piffoted about an axis parallel to a straight portion of the spindle extending between the carriers and means for holding such carriers in adjusted position.

5. ln band supporting and guiding means of the kind referred to, a base plate, a pair of upstanding brackets thereon, a pair of aligned pivot pins projecting from such brackets, a bent roller-carrying spindle, ar

ranged with an intermediate portion thereof parallel to the pivot pins aforesaid, carriers mounted upon such pivot pins to which carriers the spindle is attached and means for adjusting the carriers about the pivot pins and holding them in adjusted position.

(i. In band supporting and guiding means of the kind referred to, a spindle bent so as to possess a number of straight portions extending in opposite directions from each end of a central straight portion, a base plate, a pair ofupstanding brackets thereon, a pair of aligned pivot `pins projecting from suoli brackets and parallel to which the said central party of the bent spindle is arranged, carriers arranged to engage the ybent spindle at the regions between the various straight portions, the said several carriers disposed to one side of each bracket being rigidly united and mounted upon the corresponding pivot pin, and means for holding such carriers in different positions. i

Signed at London, England, this 16th day of December, 1919.

FREDERICK GILBERT MITCHELL. 

